


he knew a kid

by nakayuz



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dialogue Heavy, First Meetings, M/M, zolu, zolumonth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21628705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nakayuz/pseuds/nakayuz
Summary: though zoro was never one to partake in mischief, rather he’d stay quiet and observe, he found himself drawn to the kid who would. that kid was always in the center of trouble. a fight in the hallway: he was the one who started it. something major had gone missing: somehow it found his way into his backpack. hundreds of students not showing up for a day: he was the one who planned it. once something had happened, everyone would look at each other and go, “it’s him again, isn’t it?”
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	he knew a kid

**Author's Note:**

> my first contribution to "zolu month" created by the twitter users @Ghost_Moss and @mlmzoro , and the official account is @ZoluMonth !
> 
> first week's prompt: first meeting vs. long time no see.

zoro knew a kid in high school.

though he was never one to partake in mischief, rather he’d stay quiet and observe, he found himself drawn to the kid who would. that kid was always in the center of trouble. a fight in the hallway: he was the one who started it. something major had gone missing: somehow it found his way into his backpack. hundreds of students not showing up for a day: he was the one who planned it. once something had happened, everyone would look at each other and go, “it’s him again, isn’t it?”

the meeting between them was simple. zoro got detention after a teacher had scolded him for falling asleep in the middle of class -even if said teacher’s lectures were beyond boring, and she was just as uninterested and tired as he- and was sentenced to a couple hours of in-school prison. he knew there wouldn’t be many kids. even if this school was below average in academics, its students were relatively well behaved, and knew not to cause trouble, as the staff was brutal.

though he knew this, that damn kid, scruffy dark hair and straw hat present, was in there, too.

and after being drawn to this kid for some time now, observing him and making sure to keep up on what he was planning next, that kid was the one who made the first move, and introduced himself.

“i’m monkey d. luffy. what’s your name?”

just a normal introduction, yet zoro found himself astonished that he would even do such a thing. staying as the quiet kid for all those years came with the consequence of being labeled as “intimidating”, and as someone who “wouldn’t hesitate to beat you up”- which explains why he never had much interaction during the day in the first place.

“roronoa zoro. i hear about you a lot.”

the kid was sitting backwards in his chair, arms folded over the back and smiling at him.

“really? i don’t hear about you. you’re not in my class, are you?”

zoro sighs and shakes his head. “i’m not.”

“so, what are you in here for, then?”

“i was sleeping in class. and you?” he could probably take a wild guess; _acted out during class? maybe he irritated a student and got in a fight again. or, though he’s only done it once, pranked an official?_

“that’s funny, i was too!”

zoro raises an eyebrow. both were in detention for the exact same thing? he can’t help but let out a little laugh and shake his head. “okay. how did you really get detention?”

luffy cocks his head. “what do you mean? i really was sleeping.” he points under his eyes at some bags that he hadn’t noticed before, as well as a small scar under his left eye. “i didn’t get much sleep last night, so i ended up falling asleep. the teacher yelled at me!” he crosses his arms. “i thought she was doing it because of everything i’ve done, but if you got in trouble for the same thing, then i guess not.”

“you’re kidding…” zoro’s smile fades and he rests a cheek in his hand. “i thought it might have been a bigger reason. you’ve done so much.” there’s a moment of silence, and zoro watches as luffy brings his arms over his head to stretch. “…do you know that you’re talked about a lot?”

“what?” luffy finishes and places his arms back on the chair. “well, i think so.” he rubs his chin. “what do they say? i’m sure my brothers’ have said something too.”

“brothers’? i’m talking about the students.”

“speaking of them, what year are you in? you look a little older.”

zoro resists a roll of his eyes as the kid changes the subject unconsciously. “twelve. i’m graduating this year.”

the kid sits up in his chair. “whaat? no wonder you looked so old!”

“…what’s that supposed to mean?”

“i’m only in year ten!”

“yeah, i think that’s obvious.”

“when you graduate i won’t see you next year!”

“i’m pretty sure that’s also obvious.” he pauses to sigh. “you only just met me, it’s fine.”

luffy crosses his arms and leans against the desk behind him. “exactly.”

zoro looks askance at the kid in front of him, and he folds his arms over his desk. “i’m not following.”

“i won’t get to know you more. why’d you have to be so old, zoro?”

“i’m only 18!” luffy laughs as he raises his voice, and zoro coughs to compose himself. “when you get out of high school, you can find me, and then you can get to know me again.”

“we can’t meet out of school? let’s get something to eat after our detention is over.”

“you’re being way too friendly with me.” zoro runs a hand through his hair. “i won’t have time, i’m sure. i’ll tell you this, i want to be a police officer. with all the trouble you’re getting in, i’m sure you’ll meet me in no time.”

luffy laughs again. “you don’t seem like the police officer type. i want to be a firefighter! we could meet that way, too!”

“you don’t seem like the firefighter type.” zoro smirks. “or we bump into each other on the street.”

“or we both get in trouble and we meet in jail, just like this!”

“or we somehow have a mutual friend who introduces us.”

“maybe your house is on fire and i come and rescue you!”

“my house won’t catch fire, don’t count on that.” they both share a laugh. “you’re ridiculous.”

the door of the classroom slams open, and an older woman- presumably the staff member who’s head of the detention- enters. luffy turns back in his seat in surprise. she points a finger towards zoro, then jabs her thumb behind her.

“you can go home now, mr. roronoa.”

zoro nods and stands from his seat, slinging his pack over his shoulder. he starts towards the door and watches the teacher leave, but he stops at the threshold and turns back around to the kid at the desk and gives him a smile.

“you better be in detention tomorrow, too!” luffy says, crossing his arms. “if you’re not, i’ll meet you in jail.”

“good luck catching me in jail.” zoro says, “i’ll see you around.”

luffy smiles back, and the visible tension in his shoulders seem to relax at the statement.

zoro remembers the walk home that day; the sun was already starting to dip in the sky, the colors above shifting accordingly. there was a feeling in him he couldn’t quite describe after the strange interaction, and after that strange promise. he barely noticed the small smile on his face as it ran through his head multiple times.

so, when he had found himself in jail for the night, years and years later after graduating that high school and years and years after he ever thought about that kid who he almost never saw again, words were unable to make its way from his mouth as he found himself cellmates with a man who looked an awfully like that teen.

that same scruffy dark hair, that straw hat present, those same bags from before, and as he noticed that scar under his left eye, it was air that was unable to enter his lungs. that same feeling from that walk home returned, mixed with heavy nostalgia and maybe even an urge to throw up.

“i’m monkey d. luffy.” the man smiles. “what’s your name?”


End file.
